Apparatus for exciting luminous tubes



Oct. 31, 1939. 1 BETHENOD 2,177,858

APPARATUS FOR EXCITING LUMINoUs TUBES FiledJuly 9, 1935 B1 M Mfwm Patented Oct. 31, 1939 APPARATUS FOR EXCITING LUMINOUS TUBES Joseph Bethenod, Paris, France, ciete Anonyme pour les Appllc tricte et des Gaz Rares, Etablissements ass-ignor to Soations de llElec- Claude- Paz & Silva, a corporation of France applicano); July s, 1935, sensi No. 30,531

n France July 20,

3 Claims.

Various methods of exciting luminous tubes are known, particularly with a view to vshowing whether or not a high-tension conductoris under tension and'indicating the presence of an overland line (night beacons, etc.)

Inorder `to facilitate the installation of a luminous tubethus utilised, it has been proposed to take advantage of the known properties of metallic points to increase considerably the vdissipation of electricity at various points of the high-tension conductor'and it has also been proposed to arrangeluminous tubes on the'leakage lines thus established. Such devices present serious inconveniences in practice:

1. The dissipating member oiers to the wind a comparatively large resistance whichmay be detrimental to the mechanical safety of an overland lineand even occasion short-circuits in the case of excessive swinging;

2. The points of this dissipating member are subjected by oxidation to an amount cf wear which may prejudice its proper functioning after a certain length of service. i

3. The presence of such a member greatly favours the production of damped waves which may considerably interfere with neighbouring wireless receiving stations.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these defects by the application of a novel method of exciting luminous tubes based on certain properties of the electrostatic field created about the high-tension conductor, to the exclusion of any disperser or similar member.

The invention is illustrated in the accompany- Y ing drawing, in which:

Figures l and 2 represent diagrammatically, byA

way of example only, embodiments thereof.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, a conductor I pertains for example to a high-tension line which it is desired to indicate by night. -To this end, according to the invention,. there is arranged parallel to this line an auxiliary line .2, the distance of which from the principal conductor I is generally a few centimetres'or decimetres, and the length of which depends upon the potential of the line and the magnitude of the desired eiect. At the centre 3 of Athis-auxiliary line, which is insulated from the principal conductor by the insulators 6, there is connected one of the electrodes of a luminous tube 4. The latter may be of any shape. It may be arranged for vexample in the manner known per se, in helical, sinusoidal or zig-zag shape, so as to provide the greatest -possible length in a small space. The other electrode being connected to the principal conductor I, it is found that the tube 4 lights nii strongly if the various elements'of the installa.- tion have been suitably `chosen. It is even possible t obtain an appreciable eiect when the distance between the conductors I and 2 is of the order of magnitude of a centimetre, and in accoidance with theory, this effect increases more and more slowly with the distance present.

It should be noted that the insulating distancepiece supports 6 have only to withstand a comparatively small drop in potential, the magnitude of which correspond to the value necessary for satisfactory operation of the tube employed. The usual precautions can be taken against condensation and possible dripping of the water, though such incidents can only aiect the production of the luminosity without endangering the insulationol.' the main line, because the respective distances of the main line and auxiliary lines from the ground are of the same order, that is, comparatively great, relative to the spacing between then so that the addition of the auxiliary line does not increase the danger of grounding the main line in the case of rain.

v'The 'positioning of the connection 3 centre of the auxiliary line 2 is not. essential, but it will be preferable in general since it reduces to a minimum the radiation of parasitic waves produced by the discharges passing through the tube l. From this point of view, the device forming the object of the invention affords a considerable advantage over devices comprising dispersers, which constitute aerials with a very .strong radiation.

Another form of carrying out the invention is shown in Figure 2. It includes the use of two tubes IA and 4B, each having one of their electrodes connected to the principal conductor I, while the other electrodes are connected together by the auxiliary line 2, the length of which again corresponds to the Vpotential of the line, the type of tubes, the eiectto be obtained and other conditions. The operation of this par- `'ticular arrangement with tubes connected together does not differ essentially from that of Fiu're 1, and it possesses similar'advantages as regai-ils the reduction of any radiationof parasitic waves.

Preferably, the auxiliary lines and tubes are arranged sc that they act at the same time as vibration damping means and attenuate the mechanical vibrationor swinging of the hightension line. For this purpos theV moment of inertia 0i the auxiliary lines carat the e, the weight and rying the electrodes are selected in accordance with the desired damping eifect.

Naturally, the invention covers numerous variations and in particular the auxiliary line 2 is not necessarily parallel to the principal line i. Furthermore, the tubes may be provided with internal or external electrodes. Finally, impedances 5 intended to damp the .high-frequency oscillations produced by the operation of the tubes may be inserted in the conductors connecting the electrodes and the lines I and 2.

I claim: I

1. An apparatus for exciting gaseous luminous discharge tubes by means of a high tension conductor, comprising insulators suspended from the high tension conductor. an auxiliary line sup` ported at lits extremities between the insulators and positionedl parallelly to said conductor, a

luminous tube provided with spacedelectrodes, means for conductively connecting one oi' the electrodes to tbe high tension conductor, and means for conductively connecting the other electrode to the auxiliary line, the distance of the auxiliary line from the high tension conductor being between a few centimeters and a few decimeters, so that the no-load potential deter-- mined in taking account only of the electrostatic induction between the high tension conductor and the auxiliary line on one hand and between the auxiliary line and the ground on the other hand to the exclusion of all'discharge effects will be greater than the starting potential of the tube employed and the length of the auxiliary line being such that at the aforesaid distance of the same from the high tension conductor the potential at the terminals of the tube after starting will be substantially ,equal to the normal potential oi' operation of the tube.

2. An apparatus for exciting gaseous luminous discharge tubes .by means of a high tensionV conductor, comprising insulators suspended from thel high tension conductor, ported at its extremities between the. insulators and positioned vparallelly to vsaid conductor, a luminous tube provided with spaced electrodes arranged parallel to said conductor, means for conductively connecting one of the electrodes to the high tension conductor, meansfor conductivean auxiliary line suply connecting the other electrode to a center point of the auxiliary line, the distance of the auxiliary line from the high tension conductor being between a few centimeters and a few decimeters, so that the no-load potential determined by taking account only of the electrostatic induction between the high tension conductor and the auxiliary line on one hand and between the auxiliary line and the ground on the other hand to the exclusion of all discharge e'ects will be greater than the starting potential of the tube employed and the length of the auxiliary line being such that at the aforesaid distance of the same from the high tension line the potential at the terminals of thetube after starting would be substantially equal to the normal operating potential of the tube. l

3. An apparatus for` exciting gaseous luminous discharge tubes by means of a high tension conductor. comprising insulators suspended from the high tension conductor, an auxiliary line supported by its extremities between the insulators parallel to said conductor, ya luminous tube Drovided with spaced electrodes, means for conductively connecting one of the electrodes lto the /high tension conductor, means for *conductively connecting the other electrode to the auxiliary line, impedances interposed in at least one of the connecting means, the value of said impedances being-adapted to damp the high frequency oscillations produced by the operation of the tube, the distance of the auxiliary line from the high tension conductor being between a few centimeters 'and a few decimeters, so that `wno--load potential determined by taking ,account only of the electrostatic induction between the high tension conduct r and the auxiliary line on one hand and betweenctme auxiliary line and the ground on the other hand to the exclusion of all discharge eiects will be greater than the starting potential `of the tube employed and the length of the auxiliary line being such that at the aforesaid distance of the same from the high tension line the potential at the terminals of the tube after starting will be substantially equal to the normal operating potential of the tube.

JOSEPH BETHENOD. 

